Tuesday, July 12, 2011

This Insect = This Month

When one lives on a farm, even a hobby farm such as ours, you become very much in tune with nature, especially the weather.  It affects most things that one does.  Not 10 minutes ago I made the decision to keep the horses outside in the fenced arena for the night because it isn't supposed to rain tonight.  In the summer the horses spend most nights outside when the weather is good because it is cooler for them and there are less bugs to bother them (ie flies!!!).  They have spent the past 2 days inside because it is too hot, too humid and there are too many flies.  In fact, as I write this I am looking out the window at the horses, Czar and Divo,as they eat their night time snack of hay together from the same pile.  So sweet, like brothers.
Back to bugs.  Not all bugs, in fact most are not annoying.  It is amazing to me how one becomes in tune with what insects are out during certain months.  June is all about fireflies.  Our property was aglow with them as they twinkled across the property.  While there are a few stragglers left, they are mostly gone.  Early July is about crickets, in fact today being the first night that I have heard them, even though I have seen them out in the field since the snow melted.  Next up, the ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ of the cicadas.  I would imagine that they will appear in the next few weeks (but the coolest part is that their 13-17 year life's journey that took place 99.999% underground is about to begin and very qucikly end.  Yep they take that long to develop underground).
If you take the time to pay attention you can throw out your calendar.

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